They were heading back to the alley where the game had begun.
Cheongwol had been let down from Han Seojin's arms and was now walking again, holding his hand.
It was hard to explain the feelings that had shifted in such a short time.
At the start, it had been filled with tension and dislike, but now the way back felt somehow lacking... even a bit lonely.
She looked down at the hand clasped with Han Seojin's.
The warmth from his palm, the sweat, the texture.
These were sensations utterly unfamiliar to her, who had lived as a nun.
She was learning for the first time that a man's hand could be this warm.
Of course, if it had been any other man instead of Han Seojin, it would have been even more unpleasant.
The hand of a man desperate to give her only humiliation and shame felt less repulsive.
As expected, since she knew nothing about men at all, all these sensations were confusing and difficult.
Was it gratitude for resolving her heart demon? Trust from what they had shared?
Far ahead, the place where they had started the game came into view.
Cheongwol found herself unconsciously tensing her legs.
Once this game ended... would it mean another ten days without seeing him?
Would Han Seojin revert to that timid man who pretended not to know her?
At that thought, her face crumpled behind the veil.
The ten days she had easily accepted at first now felt unbearably stifling.
"...Why?"
Han Seojin voiced his doubt at Cheongwol's heavier steps.
"..."
Cheongwol said nothing.
Was she the only one truly reluctant?
Just moments ago, he had said she was pretty, that he wanted to kiss her...
...Of course, she wasn't thinking weak thoughts like wanting a kiss or more praise, but his words and actions felt somewhat inconsistent.
Even so, a kiss was truly out of the question.
If he forced it, she might sincerely slap his cheek.
Still. If he said things like that, shouldn't he show even a hint of reluctance?
"...It's nothing."
But she couldn't voice such words.
It felt too prideful to seem like she was the only one yearning.
She suppressed her feelings and kept walking.
...Somehow. It felt regrettable to end it like this.
"Ha, what a shame."
Just then, someone spoke as if voicing her thoughts.
It was a man who had somehow ended up walking beside them.
"...Ah."
Cheongwol recognized his face.
Playful expression, light gait, small stature.
Over the past few days, every time they crossed paths on the street, he had slyly sexually harassed her.
Had he passed twenty?
He looked a bit younger than Cheongwol herself.
Around seventeen or eighteen.
Perhaps because he hadn't fully become an adult yet, he kept playing such mischievous pranks.
Someone who looked like his friend asked.
"What’s a shame?"
"Well, I wanted to see Lady Cheongwol today too, but I missed her. I figured she'd show up at the Hidden Dragon Society for sure."
"They say she was there early on. She just left for some reason. It's late now—let’s head home. Your mother’s probably waiting. You’ve got to go chop wood again starting tomorrow."
"Seriously disappointing. When else am I gonna see someone as pretty as Lady Cheongwol? I really wanted to catch a glimpse of that Virgin Palace Mark. She just smiled till the end, never showed it."
This was the guy who had kept jokingly demanding to see her Virgin Palace Mark.
Cheongwol unconsciously grew angry again, clenching her fist tight.
Why did she have to be the butt of these creeps' jokes?
The reality she kept forgetting came rushing back.
Since when had she become unable to get angry in front of anyone?
What was prestige? What was her sect? It was bitter that their weight sealed her rage.
But Cheongwol knew.
Responding to every little thing like this would never end.
You couldn't fight a crowd. It would only stir up pointless trouble.
Scratching an itch every time would just damage the skin in the end.
So just pass by—
"-Ack!"
Han Seojin suddenly pulled Cheongwol's hand and strode right up to the guy.
Cheongwol held her breath in surprise at Han Seojin's sudden action.
And Han Seojin unhesitatingly smacked the back of the guy's head.
"Kyaaack!"
The guy clutched the back of his head and crumpled to the ground from the unexpected attack.
"Wh-what the hell!"
Han Seojin raised his voice, looking down at him.
"This little punk, don't you have something else to say to an Emei Sect nun? You’re lucky—I’ve wanted to beat you every time I saw you these past few days."
"Wh-why’s it your business, bro!"
Han Seojin smacked his head again.
"I'm from Mount Emei, you punk. You think I’d let you tarnish the Emei Sect in front of someone from there? Get over here!"
Then he kicked the seated guy's rear.
The guy tumbled forward with a crash.
All eyes turned to the scene in an instant.
Street conversations cut off abruptly, replaced by murmurs.
Cheongwol felt a mix of relief and fear.
She gripped Han Seojin's hand tighter and bowed her head.
The leash was still around her neck.
"Sh-shit!"
But it seemed Cheongwol wasn't the only one burdened by the stares.
The boy who had been harassing her must have known his fault, as he couldn't face the furious Han Seojin. He crawled up awkwardly and bolted away.
"I'll beat you if I see you on the street!"
"I'm seeing you right now, punk! Ask my Beggars' Sect bro—he’ll track you down easy!"
"Ah, damn it!"
And with that, the situation settled.
The onlookers burst into laughter.
"Yeah, young folks like that need to step up and teach them a lesson now and then."
"Good job, brother. If you hadn’t, I would’ve done it myself."
Han Seojin exchanged rough greetings with them and resumed walking.
Cheongwol clutched her pounding chest and followed.
As time passed, she kept replaying the scene in her mind.
"...Pfft."
Suddenly, laughter burst out.
"Huh?"
Han Seojin looked puzzled at her laughing, but Cheongwol couldn't hold it in and smiled brightly.
"Ahahaha!"
It was the loudest laugh she had suppressed since deciding to be a chaste woman of the Emei Sect.
A heroine didn't laugh brightly and vulgarly anywhere.
At most, she covered her mouth with a shallow smile, never laughing out loud like this.
"...Wol-ah?"
But Cheongwol couldn't stop laughing.
There was no reason to.
With her face hidden by the veil, she wasn't Cheongwol of the Emei Sect right now.
She was Han Seojin's possession, Cheongwol.
When she was by that name, it was okay to laugh.
To cry, to throw tantrums, to be a bit vulgar.
She had already done it all in front of him.
She could set aside the pretentious restraints binding her body and be a bit more honest.
Tears even welled up at the corners of Cheongwol's eyes.
Seeing that guy get hit and flee was so cathartic, it felt like a hole had opened in her chest.
She slipped her hand under the veil to wipe the tears.
"Haa... Shopkeeper. If you hit like that sloppy, who’d even feel pain?"
"...I used my left hand, so it was awkward."
Cheongwol smiled at Han Seojin.
Being by his side was humiliating and shameful... but conversely, it let her be the most herself.
If she kept going like this, maybe she could fully escape her heart demon someday.
Such hopeful thoughts began to fill her.
That hope lightened her heart immensely.
Somehow, with just Han Seojin, she felt she could endure the harsh life of the Emei Sect.
Cheongwol gripped Han Seojin's hand even tighter.
Today, really, this seemed enough to satisfy her.
Today, too, her heart felt at ease.
The heart demon resolution, led in his way... she liked it so much.
****
I entered the alley with Cheongwol again.
The place where all this game began.
Since it ended without issues, my tension eased.
"...Whew."
I let out a long sigh.
Through a small gap between the alley walls, I slipped Cheongwol back in.
Only then did I try to let go of her hand.
"...?"
But her fingers wouldn't release.
Cheongwol's fingertips still gripped with full strength.
She must still be tense.
I maintained my high-pressure attitude to the end.
"...Wol-ah. Still clinging? Let go of my hand."
"..."
Contrary to my expectation of some intense reaction, Cheongwol stayed quiet.
...What was up with her now?
Was she so exhausted she couldn't even react? Her legs had given out before too.
"Wol-ah. Let go of my hand, I said? It's fine now."
"...Ah."
Cheongwol belatedly loosened her grip from the interlocked fingers.
Tingling, my fingertips went numb.
She must have squeezed so hard the blood hadn't circulated.
I carefully lifted her veil and draped it over her hat.
Cheongwol's eyes met mine.
It was time to end the game.
But as our eyes met, somehow both of us fell silent at the same time.
...I recalled the moment earlier when she had laughed so brightly.
I was really startled then.
Just for beating up that one kid... I hadn't expected her to be that happy.
That kid should genuinely thank me.
If I hadn't hit him, Cheongwol might have—and the intensity would be worlds apart.
Anyway, the image of her laughing stuck deep in my mind.
I hadn't known she could smile like that.
In that laughing moment, she didn't seem like a murderous demon, but like any other person.
Her relief from that one act was pitiful and so human.
The longer our relationship continued... for some reason, I felt like I was gradually discovering her human side.
Not the Life-Pursuing Ghost Cheongwol, but the human Cheongwol.
This world was real.
Characters I had only seen in text didn't move mechanically by the story—they made choices and struggled right before my eyes.
They talked like humans, got angry, laughed, cried.
Her laugh reminded me anew of that obvious fact.
...And in that moment, an absurd thought flashed through my mind.
If I kept managing and watching over her like this.
If I warned her about obstacles in her path.
If I used my knowledge to guide her toward a better direction.
...Would the future where she becomes one of the Seven Heavens not come...?
Would the bloody storm sweeping the Central Plains weaken a bit?
I wasn't uninterested in the bloody storm coming to the Central Plains.
On the contrary, I knew it too well—that's why I hid in fear.
But if I mustered more courage here, could I make even a little difference?